Somehow, for the past months, I've managed to keep my studies on track while also having somewhat of a social life, and having a full time boyfriend. Seth is a lot of work to keep up with, to be honest, and the list of parties he constantly wants me to come to is even longer.

Every party I've been to except a couple of group sleepovers has included alcohol, tobacco and even other drugs on some cases. I haven't drunk or taken anything. Seth drinks, but that I know he hasn't touched anything else.

And finally, everyone's ready for Christmas exams. Hah, who am I kidding. It's our first serious mock exams and everyone is freaking out big time, except Seth, Caleb and I.

Seth is smart. I've been tutoring Caleb for three months now, for a few hours a week, and he's ready for every subject except Maths, which he doesn't even care about. And I've been preparing.

Tomorrow are my very first ones, but I'm not nervous. My parents are downstairs arguing. Meanwhile, I'm in my room with Eliza and Zara, with them rummaging through my cupboard in desperation, trying to find something "suitable" for me to wear to the Christmas ball, which is on Friday, after all our exams.

The dress I wore to the party at the beginning of it all has been deemed as unsuitable, and too likely to bring back bad memories, particularly to Luke and Caitlyn, and all their zombie minions. For me, that dress only carries good memories.

"Do you have a verdict yet?" I ask, sitting back and looking at them. Zara emerges from my closet.

"Firstly, I will never get over the fact you have a walk in closet." She says. Yes, courtesy of my parents. Grades came in last Wednesday and they were so happy they actually said yes to it. Besides, it's like an extension of my bookshelves, and I can lock myself in it with no phone if I want to study. "Secondly, we're going shopping."

I look at Eliza for confirmation and she nods, her face adopting a very serious and formal look. "I'm afraid... There's nothing suitable in there. Plus, you need something a little bit Christmassy, and also something short but not overly slutty either-"

She starts ticking it off her fingers as she speaks. Zara leans her head on the wall and pretends to fall asleep. "Because, to be honest, you can show off your legs if you want to, but it's a school thing so it's best to be a little reserved. Also, perhaps something that is not blue." She accentuates the blue with a frown.

"Not everything I wear is blue!" I exclaim, laughing, and she tilts her head, looking at me, giving me a yeah right look.

"Sure." She says. "Anyway, Zara still needs to find a dress because it's like she's been living under a rock for the past few months, I mean, even Zoe has gotten a boyfriend before you." She stops suddenly, realising she's crossed the line a little too much.

I shrug to break the tension. "Eliza's right. You need to wear something nice." I get up and head over to Eliza, then lean in to whisper to her. "Carter has a crush on her." I whisper as loudly as possible. Eliza falls back laughing and Zara goes red. "So you need to look good, because then he might finally pick up the courage to ask you out."

She blushes even more.

"I mean, if Seth had the guts to ask me out, I'm sure he'll have the guts to ask you out. After all, you're pretty and popular, and you hang out with him all the time." I reason, then nod my head towards Eliza.

Eliza frowns at me.

"Just look at that. Nate asked her out. How is no guy going to like you?"

Eliza rolls her eyes. "You're just jealous because Nate's hotter."

"Last time you ranked them, you said Luke, Seth, Nate, Caleb." I say. "And that was all the girls together."

"Okay, okay. But that doesn't mean Seth is better looking."

"Seth is smarter." I comeback. Zara chuckles and steps between us.

"Hey, it doesn't matter." She says. "So, tomorrow? We're going to need something to take our minds off the mocks, anyway."

Eliza gasps and slides down to the floor. "Zoe." She chokes out suddenly. I raise an eyebrow as she grabs my ankle, curling up on the floor.

"Does she often do this?" I ask Zara, who shrugs. I shake my leg but Eliza doesn't move.

"Zoe, I need help." Eliza gasps from the floor.

"Are you okay?"

"You need to explain Pythagoras to me. And conditional probability." She's still gasping and writhing on the floor.

"That's no problem." I say and she springs up, brushing off her clothes.

"Great." She says with a huge smile. "I brought my books with me."

"I need to revise history, so I'll see you tomorrow." Zara says. Eliza hugs her and I wave, following her downstairs. She walks home on her own. I close the door behind her and Eliza pounces on me again.

"Zoe, you're supposed to be studying right now." My mother says, making a sudden entrance. I roll my eyes and grab Eliza's arm.

"That's exactly what we're doing. We're in maths together and we're going over some formulae." I say. "How x is proportional to y in a compound interest formula, and how to plot a stem and leaf diagram with the data collected from-"

"That's okay, honey." My mum interrupts me, and races through to the kitchen. I can almost see her straining not to put her hands over her ears. My mum hates maths with a passion, as it was her worst subject at school and she always flunked it.

I drag Eliza upstairs before my dad comes out and tells me off too.

"So, Pythagoras is actually really easy." I say as Eliza pulls her books out. "All you have to do is..."

¬

My first two tests, Maths and History, were a piece of cake. I was scared to say I'd finished first, but every time I looked around the class everyone was still hard at it, so eventually I renounced to being a nerd and handed it in twenty one minutes before the next person did. I read for the rest of the lesson.

In Maths, on the other hand, the class was full of appealing eyes, begging me for answers or formulae. I sneaked an answer for two points to Eliza, but to no one else. None of them are worth me being caught cheating.

"Oh, you were so lucky. I had four tests today. Four." Zara complains.

"I had three." Ashley adds.

"One. But then again, I totally failed it." Eliza says with a smile. How can she be happy about failing?

"I got two, but they went well, I hope." I add in. "Are you guys ready to run or do you need your time for a small mental breakdown?" I ask, looking at Zara.

"I can have it in the car." She looks over at Ashley. "Ash, lets go." We drive to the shopping center, a place I never would have set foot in a few months ago, with Zara rocking herself gently.

Truly, I think they overreact.

"Anyway, how's it with Jack?" Eliza asks Ashley. I bagged shotgun, so she's stuck at the back with a half-gone Zara. Ashley goes red and I laugh. Eliza leans over my seat. "I love it how we're the only ones who can talk about boys like normal people."

"That's because you both have nice, long-lasting boyfriends." Zara speaks up. Eliza humphs but sits back as Ashley turns on the music to avoid more awkward conversation.

Within seconds she's caught both Eliza and I - we're both complete suckers for One Direction, and in particularly when it's in the car, with the windows down, and full blast. Actually, it's better if it pisses someone off in the meantime, but you can't have everything in this life.

"YOU'VE GOT THAT ONE THING- YEAH YOU'VE GOT THAT ONE THING! OH OH OH OH OH! OH OH OH OH OH!"

"Eliza, please sit down, you're blocking the mirror and we'll have an accident." Ashley says. May I point out that she says this while coursing down a 40 mph road at 75 mph.

At that rate, we're at the mall in minutes, and before I know it, Ashley and Eliza are dragging me and Zara through the mall a very cheesey named dress shop which also has the best designs around.

"Pick out two dresses each that you like, and we'll pick two more for each of you, kay?" Ashley asks us. Zara and I glance at each other and shrug.

"Sure." I say, then make my way over to the closest rack, rifling through the dresses absent mindedly. I wonder how I did on the exam. And I wonder how the Latin exam is going to go tomorrow. I'm hoping for at least ninety two percent on that one.

I wonder how the Latin exam will go for Caleb. I've tutored him a lot and he should be up to it and more. He's not at my level, but he can definitely aim for eighty-ninety percent, and hopefully by the real exams, if he studies, he might even aim for ninety - ninety five. He's not stupid, and he only needs a bit of prompting.

My fingers catch on a soft, deep night blue gown. I pull it out, my eyes scanning it slowly. It's beautiful. Before getting too enamoured, I check the size. Well, it should fit me. Perhaps it won't.

"God, not more blue."

"Shut up, it's a beautiful dress." Zara says, gazing at it in awe. The neck plunges, leaving the shoulders almost bare but for two off the shoulder puffy straps. At first sight, it looks revealing but not too revealing.

"And of course Zoe would go for literally the most expensive dress in the shop." Zara comments, reading off the label. I look down and bite my lip. It's 800 dollars, and I don't know how happy my parents will be about that.

"It's a beauty, isn't it?" The shop assistant pops up behind me and I start in shock. "The last one we have. It's from last year, so it's on a half price offer for the moment." I almost pummel the air but I don't. While 400 dollars is still expensive, it's not the same as 800.

"I'm trying it." I say firmly, ignoring Eliza's comments about me only wearing blue, and changing into it in the plush dressing room. When I turn around and see myself in the mirror, I gasp.

"Let me in!" Demands Ashley from outside. I laugh to myself, and fasten Seth's necklace around my neck once more. It looks beautiful with the dress, and the dress...

Wow. This is even better than the other one. I slide out of it before I get too entranced and fold it back into the hanger, leaving it to one side. As I pull my trousers up, I realise they don't fit me as well as they used to.

I've definitely gained weight recently, and I need to get rid of those extra pounds ASAP. Thankfully, my legs still look slim and my arms are as thin as they used to be.

The girls all make disappointed sounds as I leave the changing room fully dressed, clutching the dress. Zara points to the necklace.

"Where did you get that? It's really pretty."

"Oh..." I touch it gently. "It's from Seth."

Eliza huffs. "See, Nate's never given me anything like that."

"That's because Seth and I have a deeper connection." I say jokingly with a chuckle.

"You think you do." I hear from behind me. "A deeper connection. Poor girl. She's been in the dark for so long she's forgotten how to communicate socially." Caitlyn laughs in a high pitch. Zara wrinkles her nose and inches closer to me.

Whilst all of the boys have gotten over me, Caitlyn and a couple of her minions haven't, and they still think they run the school. Thankfully, without the four, their power equals their imagination, and as their brains are small, it doesn't even go that far.

"Seth and I have a deeper connection." One of the girls mimicks to her right. I roll my eyes.

"Who'd have thought it. Queen B being jealous of the Zerd because she got the boy, huh?" I say with a smile, turning my back on her to go and pay for the dress.

"I would never be jealous of someone so useless." Caitlyn says, but her confidence wavers a little when she sees Eliza and Ashley not getting involved, and Zara standing firmly with me. "Listen, you think you're all so great, now." She spits.

I raise an eyebrow, mentally predicting what's coming next.

"But you don't know that the moment Seth sees you as you are and ditches you-" She snaps her fingers. "It all comes falling down, uh? How do you know Seth's not on in a prank? How do you know he really has a "deeper connection" with you for real?"

I frown, her words hitting me hard. Even though I don't want to, and even though I try to force myself not to, my arms dump the dress on the side, and my legs make me walk out of the shop as fast as I can, pulling the necklace from my throat as I do. 

A/N - Thanks for reading :) And thanks again for A HUNDRED THOUSAND READS on One of the Bullied! I can't wait to share the re-written version with all of you :) 

Have a good day, wherever you are!